Love of Penguins
by MoMo the Mesh Monster
Summary: Rise is heartbroken when she finds out that Souji and Ai are dating. So, hoping to get over Senpai, she finds herself falling for a young man with a tough guy attitude, who has an odd love of penguins. Will penguins be enough to bring the two together?
1. Chapter 1: Penguin Costume

**Hello hello!! This here's mah first shot atta KanjixRise fanfic (dun ask me why I talk like that righ now.) XD Damn, it's too early for me to be writing. . On to more important business!! This story will have three chapters, no more, no less. I'm intent on making it that long. =) Anywho, this will also probably be my last *whole* fanfic for awhile (at least for the Persona series that is, except I might do a NaotoxRise fanfic... Or maybe KanjixNaoto? Hmm...) since I've already written like 7 others... I figure I might need a break, as well as all of you who have been reading my works. XD Lastly, I know that Kanji never outright stated in the game that he loved penguins, so I'm just assuming that he did. That's all. =)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Persona 4, or Rise's adorable little costume! Sqweee!**

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**Chapter 1: Penguin Costume**

**January 14, 2012**

"Party weekend has finally arrived for the young students of Yasogami High! Every student is invited, and _no _student should have anything more important to do than attend my, Ai Ebihara's, revolutionary costume party! So, be there, or be a loser," the invitation read. The girl with hair like autumn leaves stared at the card in her hand. Even though it was white, the invitation was ornately decorated, designs flowered across the sides; it even had the scent of strawberries on it. Every student was stoked about the party, and as far as she knew, no one _had_ declined the invitation.

But, behind the scent of strawberries, she smelled another faint, yet familiar aroma. The smell was husky . . . even _manly_. _Senpai's cologne_, she thought. _He must have helped with the cards_ _. . ._ She sighed at the thought of him with another woman, even if it was only to help with the invitations.

The bell rang loudly, dismissing the class from the lecture that had cast a sleeping spell on them. Rise stood up slowly, still pondering over Souji's helping Ai out. _I wonder if they were alone together . . ._ Her thoughts took hold of her and kept her standing next to her desk. Her daydreams of the two of them were interrupted by a group of snickering boys near the door.

She glanced over at them, surprised to see them scanning her. Up and down, up and down – their eyes went. The space between her and them grew awkward, so she attempted to break it by shifting her eyesight to the window. However, she could still manage to hear their conversation. Their words were vulgar, and she flinched when they mentioned her with such perversion in their voices. The three male teenagers talked about what _they_ wanted Rise to wear to the costume party. A bikini, a nurse outfit, even a maid costume was mentioned. Normally, topics like that would roll off her shoulders, but not this one. She would _never_ wear something like _that _around Senpai. _What would he think of me if I did that?_, she questioned.

Her fingers ran through her hair like open fields, as she strolled slowly toward the hormonal young men. "Don't worry, boys," she said with a wink added in like an extra fee. "I'll be wearing something _super_ cute for the party! Hopefully the curiosity won't kill you by then!" She noted the slight twitching of the boys; they were struggling to keep their "excited" spasms to themselves. Smiling while she walked past them, her taunts jabbed the teenagers as her hips swayed back and forth, a pendulum of allurement. _Oh yeah, I'll definitely be wearing something cute! Something they won't be expecting!_

**Junes**

After school, the eight teenagers were gathered around their usual table at Junes. Yosuke and Chie had left the group momentarily to get refreshments for everyone. Their loud bickering could be heard by everyone in the mall, possibly everyone in town as well. As the two approached the others, their arguing became even more heated, resembling an old married couple. After the drinks were passed out and the two had cooled down, the topic of the party came up.

It was quickly established that Chie, Yosuke, and Teddie, who didn't even go to their school, were planning on attending the party. _Senpai will probably go because he's such good friends with Ebihara-senpai,_ Rise thought. _Why don't I double-check though . . ._"So, Senpai," she asked casually, "are you going to the party?" Souji looked up from the attention-grasping drink he was holding.

"Well, probably. Ai asked me to, so I figure I will," he said nonchalantly. Rise smiled and nodded, curiosity – a bullet shooting through her head. She turned her attention to the others, who had resumed their heated debate. Yukiko, Naoto, and Kanji mounted a defense against the three partygoers' pleading. Yukiko said she just didn't want to go to the party, Naoto said there was no point, and Kanji said it would be boring.

A nudge pressed against Rise's right ribs. She looked over to see Chie's smiling face. "What about you, Rise? Are you gonna go?" she asked. Rise glanced at Souji, twirling his straw in his drink. She couldn't stand the thought of him dancing with another girl. _But, what if he dances with me?! _She couldn't believe that she didn't think of it sooner. An eager "yes" popped out of her mouth before she could think. "Hah-haaah!!" Chie laughed, sounding as though she was proud of Rise's answer. "It's four against three now, so surrender and go to the party with us!!"

After a half-hour of debate, the resistors finally gave in, and it was decided that they would go as a group. Questions flew around about who was going to wear what. Though, it wasn't unexpected when each gave his answer. No one stepped out of his comfort zone, no one dared to be different, no dared to go beyond what people were expecting . . . _except_ Rise.

**January 15, 2011**

Saturday had finally arrived for the eager students. The group met up at Junes, before leaving for Ai's house. However, Rise didn't show up. They waited a few minutes until they got a text from Rise, telling them that she'd meet up with them at the party.

The seven-some arrived at the party, each of them decked out in his costume. Chie had on a kung-fu outfit, while Yukiko wore her kimono, a testimony that she truly didn't want to be there. Yosuke, dressed up as James Bond, had convinced Teddie to wear a bear costume as a joke. Naoto and Kanji came as themselves, Naoto – a detective, and Kanji – a punk. A phone buzzed for a few seconds before stopping, so they all simultaneously pulled out their phones. Each person sounded off when it wasn't him. Six pairs of eyes turned toward Souji in his high school uniform. His phone was in his hand, his eyes scanning the text. "I'll b there soon. Costume's hard to move in. C u in a bit! Luv, Rise," it read. Yosuke and Kanji snapped around, hiding their faces from the others. Thoughts of Rise in a tight outfit forced blood from their noses. Chie's left eye twitched, as she smacked the two hard on the head.

A few minutes passed, and a familiar "Heeey!!" was shouted from the darkness. Thrown off from the noise, they all focused their attention toward the strangely shaped object coming toward them. As it approached, Yukiko was the first to realize who it was. "Rise-chan? Is that you?" she asked, baffled by the odd outline of the costume.

Stepping into the glow of a nearby streetlight, her costume was seen by all. It covered her completely, hiding her curves, her legs, even some of her pigtailed hair. "So, what do you think? Pretty sweet, huh?" she inquired, openly admiring her costume. Jaws were hanging wide enough for a swarm of flies to swoop in.

A snicker came from behind Yosuke's hand. The laughter spread like a wildfire in a dry forest. Everyone was laughing heartily, even Naoto. Rise, foreseeing this reaction, turned around. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that Kanji wasn't laughing. Six of the eight teenagers stepped out of the cold night air and into Ai's house. With a light blush on his face, Kanji stood behind Rise.

"Well, uhh, if it's any consolation, I, uhh, think your costume's," he said pausing before the last word, "cute." Her head shot around like an owl. His eyes flickered from her to the ground and back to her. Under her gaze, a sheepish smile spread across his face, embarrassed at the words that came out of his mouth.

"Aww, Kanji, that was so sweet of you!!" she giggled as she spoke. "I'm so glad at least one other person likes it!" She tugged at the puffy penguin suit that enveloped her. "Although, it is hard to move around in."

His right hand moved to the base of his neck, a habit of his when he was feeling bashful. "So, I know 's not any-uh my business, but why'd you wear something like that?" he asked. Dashed dreams filled the night air, as a group of teenage boys bolted out of the house. Their heads bobbled back and forth, searching for the cause of their oncoming depression. Heads froze, they stared at Rise. _I know it's dark, but am I seeing tears in their eyes?! _Wailing, they ran back into the house, Ai pointing them to the nearest bathroom.

"That's why," Rise said, smiling triumphantly. Her smile faded at what she saw. Ai's arms were draped around Souji's neck, his hands slowly entwining around her waist. She looked down, hoping that Kanji had missed the sudden change in her expression. She was wrong, however, but he dismissed it, knowing that she wouldn't talk about it, especially to _him_ of all people. _So it is true about them two dating . . . Dammit, looks like we weren't meant to be, Senpai . . . Maybe I can find someone who's just as kind as Senpai_, she thought, trying to reassure herself.

"You know, it's no good if you got all dressed up for nothin'. Might as well go have some fun, right?" Kanji asked, trying to cheer her up. The smile returned to Rise's face as she looked up at the tall young man. Their eyes locked for a moment, and for a split second, she could have sworn her heart skipped a beat. _Must have been my imagination_, she brushed the thought aside. But little did she know that Kanji's heart had skipped as well . . .

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**Well that was fun stuff, eh? By the way, the penguin costume was sorta based on Chiyo-chan's outfit from Azumanga Daioh (I adore that show!! Go. Go watch. Right now. But first. Review. Right now. M'kay?). Also, I know it's kinda weird how Rise could smell Souji's cologne, but I figured she had a heightened sense of smell when it came to Souji.**

**Chapter 2 might or might not be up soon. It should be though... . A quick warning though, there probably will be some fluff ahead in the next chapters, so beware in case you don't like super cuteness! And I'm not just talking about me! ;) .... Lame joke. I know. Don't blame me though. Blame the fact that it's frickin' 3 a.m. Off to get some snooze.**


	2. Chapter 2: Love's Game: A Penguin Story

**Hello hello!! Well, it took around seven hours (on and off) of writing this, so here it is! I don't think it's as good as chapter one, but that's just my opinion. Ugh, who ever knew writing would be painful. As if my back wasn't sore enough (it's sad that a seventeen-year-old sounds like an old lady. Hahah), it also hurts from hunching over my sister's laptop like a caveman with his fire. Instead of a wife slaving over her stove for her family, I'm slaving over the computer for like... thirty people. XDD Anywho, enough of my complaining. Onto the story's disclaimer. YES THAT'S ALL YOU'RE ALLOWED TO READ!!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Persona 4, any of its characters, Atlus, Japan, etc. etc.... BUT, I do own these fabulous chocolate chip cookies that I'm munching on! Except, these damn, hell-bent gnats are attacking them!! GRAAAAAAWWWRRRR!!!!**

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**Chapter 2: Love's Game: A Penguin Story**

**January 28, 2012**

The group was gathered in the Amagi Inn, prepared for their monthly ritual of "movie night." After everything that had happened the previous year, Yukiko's parents decided it would be okay to take one day of the month off so that the teenagers could relax in the living room. The chefs had prepared a simple course of the teens' favorites.

Before watching the movie, they ate at the request of Yosuke. His explanation was that they wouldn't be able to hear the movie over Chie's ravenous eating habits. His comment gained him the typical mumble from Chie, followed by a slap across the back of his head.

Everyone was huddled around the kotatsu in the center of the room. The heat from their cups of hot chocolate drifted into the air. The thin steam was a subtle reminder of their past year of struggles during the foggy weeks in Inaba. A moment of silence filled the atmosphere, as the steam continued to rise. However, the silence lasted only for a short time before a loud blowing noise interrupted.

All heads turned to face the cause of the sound. Rise was hunched over her cup, attempting to cool it off enough so that it would be drinkable. Oblivious to the others' eyes, she continued before she realized the quietness. Looking up, she was caught off guard at the stares she was receiving. _They're looking at me like I did something wrong . . . I just wanted to drink my hot chocolate . . . _, she whined.

A quiet snort came from the opposite side of the kotatsu. Yukiko's face was covered by her hand, trying to keep from laughing. Despite her endeavors, she began laughing loudly as the others joined in. Rise cocked her left eyebrow, confused at what was so amusing. She sighed and resumed cooling off her drink.

After the fits of laughter were over, Yukiko spoke up. "So, instead of normally just having one of us choose the movie, I think we should be a little democratic and vote!" Moans consumed the room, as each person wanted to choose the movie. Rise looked over at Naoto, who was simply minding her own business. Her ears perked up, as she leaned over to listen to what the detective was mumbling about.

"Democracy is foolish; it never works. That form only creates chaos and does nothing to appease the general wants of the people," Naoto muttered under her breath. She looked over to see a chuckling Rise. She rolled her eyes as she would toward any other person, but a small smile slid across her face.

Tiny slits of paper were passed out to each person. The instructions were simple: there were ten movie choices – circle the one that you wanted to watch. Rise's eyes scanned the picks, making a hopeful wish that "Gore Fest III" wouldn't win. She sipped a bit of her hot chocolate before reading the remaining four choices. When she reached the last one, she nearly spit her hot chocolate out like a camel.

She read the name repeatedly to make sure she wasn't hallucinating it. "Love's Game: A Penguin's Story." _It can't be?! I've been wanting to watch it ever since it came out a few weeks ago!! My pick won't lose; it __can't__!_ Her pencil circled a neat, near perfect line around the title.

To assure no one cheated, since some weren't beneath cheating in order to watch their favorite movie, the group decided on Naoto to read the votes. The only level-headed person of the group, aside from Souji, Naoto read out each vote. Rise flinched as the detective called out "Gore Fest III" as one of the votes. Deciding to be a little nosy like a detective would, she scanned the others to see if their expression showed which one had voted for the horror movie. Her mission failed miserably after coming to the conclusion that it _had_ to be one of the boys who voted for it since she had no evidence whatsoever. _Looks like I wasn't meant to be a detective. I should definitely stick to showbiz._

The title of the movie she wanted to see finally came out of Naoto's mouth. She had to suppress a squeal from coming out. Only one vote sat in the middle of the table. It was mocking her. Its tongue was poking out of its mouth, waving back and forth as if its teasing wasn't agonizing by itself. Only to enhance the taunting, Naoto decided to be cruel to everyone and drag it out. _She is pure evil! Ugh, the suspense is killing me!! If she doesn't read it pretty soon, I'm gonna jump across this kotatsu and read it myself!!_

Rise's fists were turning white from the force that she was clenching them with. Her teeth dug into her lip, nearly drawing blood from the luscious pink flesh. Her eyes glanced quickly at the others. Chie was the only one just as nerve-racked as herself. A quiet continuous grunt came from the kung-fu lover as she rubbed the sleeves of her green jacket between her fingers.

Naoto opened her mouth to state the final vote. Each movie had only one vote, so the final one was crucial in victory. "Love's Game: A Penguin Story," she stated, a hint of disappointment penetrating her otherwise calm voice. A squeal shattered the room. Rise was standing up, spinning in circles from sheer joy. Sighs were released from each individual, except for Rise . . . and Kanji.

"So, all right. Who did it? Who voted for the dumb penguin movie aside from Rise-chan?" Yosuke asked, a slick grin plastered on his face. Whoever did it was going to receive an earful from him. No one answered. His mouth quivered from annoyance. "So then, does that mean Rise-chan CHEATED??!!" His back popped painfully from the quick transition from a sitting position to standing one.

"Rise-chan didn't cheat; I can assure you that much," stated Naoto. "No one here cheated."

"What, do you have that written down in your little detective book?" Yosuke snapped back. The two locked eyes. If it had been the samurai era, the two would have dueled with katanas, but in modern times, words were more effective in defeating an opponent. But before the two teenagers could open war against one another, Kanji stepped into the fray.

"Screw all this dumb-ass talk, and just watch the movie! We can't prove anybody did anythin' that was cheating, so let's just get over it and deal with it!" Kanji shouted. Although he had a tendency of getting upset easily, the group was shocked at his sudden outburst.

Rise wrapped her arm around Kanji's left arm, a smile beaming across her face. "Yeah, what Kanji said!! I'm gonna start the movie now, so no talking or you'll be banished from the Amagi Inn!" she said in a commanding way that she had no right to. Nonetheless, the others obeyed, silently glaring at the back of her head as they chose their seats.

As the previews played, the teens spread across the room, choosing the spot that they wanted to sit in. Rise and Kanji got as close to the television as they could, so much that it was probably bad for their eyesight. Souji and Yosuke grabbed a seat near the back, deciding to play poker instead of watching the movie. As for the other three girls, they quietly sat down in the middle of the room, being forced to sit near Teddie who kept repeatedly mumbling to himself "I've gotta _bear_ it!"

**Two hours later**

Tears filled the eyes of the two penguin enthusiasts, while "hooray"s came from the other bored-senseless teens. Before leaving to get some takoyaki, Rise and Kanji were forced to pick up the tissues scattered across the floor, the whole time Kanji denying that he cried at all.

As if having to watch the movie wasn't painful enough, the other teenagers had to listen to Rise and Kanji recapping the whole movie. The streets were mainly empty, save for a few adults who were strolling around. The time was 7:38 p.m., yet surprisingly, the modest-sized takoyaki shop was still open. The girls sat down on the limited bench room, while the boys were forced to stand.

They gave their orders to Yosuke, who was used to being treated as a waiter even outside of Junes. As he approached the store owner, he mouthed a "please help me." Confused, the lady shrugged off the poor boy's plea of help. After he got the orders, he passed the food to each person. The penguin lovers continued to discuss the movie – the highlights, the down points, even the animation was included in the conversation. Yosuke took his station next to Souji, mumbling something about if only he had a gun to shoot himself in the head with.

**One and a half hour later**

The store had closed for the night, but two lone figures still sat there. The idol and the punk talked idly about the movie. The others had left, but the two didn't care. The movie was the best thing that they had ever seen, even if they had to ignore jokingly being made fun of.

However, it was getting late, and nightfall was nigh at hand. Yawning, Rise stood up, with Kanji mirroring her same moves. "Well, I better head home. It's getting kind of late, and this idol needs all of her beauty sleep!" She smiled before yawning again.

"Hey, uhh, why don't I walk you to your house? I mean, there could be punks roaming the streets and all. Uhh, plus, we can talk more about the movie!" he said nervously. Rise's giggle did little to calm his nerves, rather it was counterproductive.

"Suuure," she said, drawing the word out longer than intended due to an invading yawn attack. "But, I don't think there's that much more we can talk about the movie." His head dropped like a little boy who had just been dumped by his first girlfriend. Rise scrunched her face at what she said. _That was pretty stupid, Rise._ "Oh, but I think I heard some guys in our grade talking about some local thugs who wander the streets at night!" His head shot up with a small, but relaxed smile on his face. _Those acting classes certainly do come in handy every once in awhile!_ _I do have to admit though, it might be nice having Kanji walk me home now that Senpai doesn't . . ._

A few steps later, and they arrived at her grandmother's tofu shop. She wished him goodnight before running happily into the quaint shop. Kanji mentally kicked himself after he realized that she let him walk her home just to be nice, seeing as how her home was only a few feet from the takoyaki shop. "Still," he whispered, "it was kind of Rise to do that . . . Even if it did make me look like a dumb-ass . . ."

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**Aww... not as much fluff as I wanted, but I'll trying working more of it into the final chapter!!! Dun dun dun!! Although, I am enjoying writing then as a couple, so I might drag it out a little longer, depends on if I feel like it... or if anyone else feels like it either. XD**

**[SOMETHING YOU SHOULD READ IF YOU READ THE FIRST CHAPTER BEFORE I EDITED IT] I accidentally put in the first chapter that the story took place during January 2011, but then I realized that the group didn't get together until around September-ish. So, I changed it to 2012. Whoopsies! =)**

**Now then, off to go get some lighter fluid and burn these evil gnats. Heheheheh.... **


	3. Chapter 3: Hunting for Penguins

**Hello hello! Sorry it took so long to update . . . Junior year has been a pain in my b-u-t-t what with research paper, science fair, exams . . . Thank goodness summer is almost here. DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS? Yes, updating frenzy! =D So once again, sorry sorry for taking so long . . . I'm such a slacker. X_X Anyway, last chapter, hope you enjoy. =)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any'a this. Persona 4. Atlus. All that snazzy stuff. 'S not mine. ;)**

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**Chapter 3: Hunting for Penguins**

**February 18, 2012**

The succulent scent of freshly cooked food floated through the restaurant. Bored, the teen idol leaned forward and rested her chin in the palm of her right hand. She eyed the awkward young man across the table from her. Aside from the cloth napkin that was tucked into his shirt, he was dressed nicely, which was different from his usual punk-looking clothes. However, his bleached white hair drew the eyes of many fellow diners.

She could tell he was enjoying the expensive and lavishly decorated food, since his utensils hadn't stopped; however, _she_ was not enjoying it. _This has got to be the worst date ever_, she thought. _There hasn't been a single good part of it! Not even when he asked me out, which is all thanks to Yosuke-senpai's prodding . . . Damn, Chie-senpai for getting me to agree to this!_

**Three hours before**

The two teens stepped off the train and entered the bustling nightlife of Okina. They strolled the streets with little conversation, and sometimes the distance between the two was so large that they didn't even look like they were walking together. After a few minutes of walking, they arrived at the grandiose movie theater. _Please, please, say he picked a good movie. Good as in something I would like to watch_, she thought as they approached the ticket counter.

"Two tickets for 'Kitty Kat's Playground', please," Kanji said, his voice shaking from nervousness. He pulled out enough money for the two tickets and slid it to the man.

"You _kiddies_ on a date?" the man said, laughing loudly. The tickets swapped hands, and the two entered the movie theater.

"So, uhh, I hope the movie's okay with you. I kinda forgot to ask what you'd wanna see," he said quietly. He fiddled with buttons at the top of his shirt as he waited for her answer.

"Oh, yeah, it's fine with me!" she feigned excitement. _Yeah, if I was ten years younger and NOT ON A DATE!_ His face lit up with a smile, and his pace became faster with the courage that he gained from her answer. She ran her hand across her face, faintly moaning as her fingers gently clenched her throat.

"This is gonna be a loooong night," she mumbled to herself.

They were a few minutes late, so they had missed a few of the previews. As they rounded the corner to the seats, Rise's eyes filled with pure terror, like a cat in the middle of a dog pen. Little kids filled eighty percent of the seats, while the other seats were filled by their "babysitters." The two sat down between two different groups of kids. After she sat down, she looked over at the kid sitting next to her.

His left eyebrow was raised. "If it doesn't work out with him, call me," he said, making a phone out of his hand, followed by a wink.

A shiver ran through her body as if she had just taken a cold shower. She looked over at Kanji, who was holding his knees, either from excitement or nervousness. She leaned closer to him and put her lips near his left ear. His fingers clinched his knees even tighter from her minty breath on his neck. "Swap seats with me. The kid next to me is freakin' me out," she whispered. He nodded sharply in a spastic sort-of-way, before standing up. The movie began as soon as they had adjusted to their new seats. _His warmth is still in the seat_, she thought, her skin prickling at the thought of another's warmth.

**One hour before**

Since the movie was designed with kids in mind, it lasted for only two hours or so. The little children remained in their seats as the credits rolled by on the screen. _Oh crap, what if the lights come on and all these little kids realize I'm Risette? I've got to make sure we leave A.S.A.P.!_ "Let's go, Kanji," she said, wheeling around and grabbing his hand before sprinting down the aisle. Their hands were clasped together the whole time that they took to run out of the movie theater. The fresh cold nighttime air filled their lungs and awakened their minds.

With closed eyes, Rise was hunched over, panting, her hands on her legs . . . or at least, one of her hands. As she opened her eyes, she realized that she was still holding his left hand and that _his_ hand was pressed against _her_ leg. She blushed, straightened up, and calmly released his hand. Her eyes shifted to the right, the side that Kanji was on. His head was facing the opposite way of her, slightly cocked upwards, but she could see a slight hint of pink on his ears. _That was really awkward . . . Even Kanji's blushing . . ._

"S-so, umm, you ready to g-go eat?" he stuttered, brushing his left fingers against the palm of his hand in order to rub the strange tingling feeling away. Rise lightly giggled before nodding her head. They proceeded to walk down the sidewalk, standing a good deal closer than they did before.

**Present**

_This restaurant is pretty expensive. I'm surprised Kanji brought me here . . . I didn't think that he'd have enough money for something this expensive . . ._ She snapped her head up at the sound of someone speaking to her. The waiter stood beside her. "Yes?" she asked, still dazed from the surprise.

"More water, miss?" he asked politely.

"Oh, yes, please," she said. After he poured her a full glass of water, she kindly thanked him before he walked off. She turned her face toward Kanji, who was still scarfing down food as if there wasn't enough time for him to eat it all. "Enjoying the food?" she questioned with a smile.

He took his eyes off his plate and looked up at her. After waiting to swallow the abundance of food in his mouth, he replied. "Oh yeah, this food's amazing! Best stuff I ever had."

She nodded in agreement with him that the food was good. She then focused her attention on the salad before her and counted the amount of tiny holes she had poked into the lettuce from sheer boredom. _Thirty on the dot . . . That's the same number of singles I had as Risette . . ._ She raised her right hand and flagged a waiter down. When he arrived, she requested some croutons. After a few minutes of waiting, he approached them with a bowl of croutons. _Might as well eat my salad, and there's nothing like croutons to make it taste better!_

As her hand reached out to grab a few, a larger hand than hers grabbed a handful first. Kanji sprinkled the croutons onto his food, before chomping down on them. Her jaw dropped. _He-he stole my croutons! Time to get this date over with._ "Hey, Kanji, it's getting late, and I'm starting to get tired. Mind if we head home, now?" she asked, throwing in a fake yawn to make it seem believable.

"Oh, sure. Yeah, no prob." He waved the waiter to him and got out his money to pay. However, when he saw the bill, his eyes nearly shot straight out of his head and onto the table. "I . . . I don't have . . . enough money," he mumbled in disbelief. _Is he serious? Agh, he looks like he's about to cry . . ._

"Here. Put it on my credit card, please?" Rise asked, flashing her credit card. Her eyes concentrated on the waiter's back as he walked off, attempting to avoid looking at Kanji. _It must be rather embarrassing for him . . ._

"I-I'm sorry . . . that you had to pay, when I'm the guy . . . and I'm supposed to pay," he said, sadness seeping into his voice. He held his head down, in shame that he wasn't living up to be the kind of "male image" that he thought he should be.

The waiter returned, and as they were about to leave their table, Kanji accidentally tripped on the chair's leg and knocked his glass of tea over. The glass didn't break, but the tea had landed on Rise's new, _expensive_ dress. Her eyes closed from frustration, and a low, grumbling sound came from the back of her throat. "Let's just get out of here, Kanji," she said, walking past the waiters who were trying to wipe her dress off.

A while later, the two had arrived back to Inaba. As they walked down the sidewalk, Rise lead, and Kanji walked a few paces behind her. _Definitely the worst date ever. I feel bad for Kanji though, having to go through all of this, too_, she thought. The silence between the two continued; the only noises being made were from her soft footsteps and his long strides. Until, his footsteps stopped. Confused, Rise turned around to see what the problem was.

Kanji was standing still – head held down, and arms holding something behind his back. "Kanji, what's the mat-" she partially asked before being cut off by him.

"Listen, Rise, I know that this date has really sucked, and I'm really sorry 'bout that," he started. _This is different from the normal Kanji I know. He's not stuttering, and he seems so confident right now . . ._, she thought, shocked at his different form of composure. "But, I wanted you to know that I didn't mean for any'a that to happen. It was just, a lot of bad luck. So, I hope you don't think that any date I'd go on with you would turn out like that . . ." he paused, pulling an object out from behind his back. "So, I was wondering, if you'd, uh, wanna look for penguins with me." He held out a box of animal crackers. She smiled softly, reaching out to grab it.

"I'd love to, Kanji. Because even though this date was definitely the worst I've ever been on," she said, "it's also been the sweetest one." She giggled as a blush crossed his face.

"You really mean it?" he asked, gulping in fear that she might change her mind.

"Positive," she replied, winking. "But just so you know, you don't have to take me on expensive dates. If it's not a place that you'd feel comfortable at, then you don't have to take me there. I mean, I would have been just as happy to go to Aiya's."

"Figures . . . I'll keep that in mind though for future references," he said, beaming a small but happy smile at her. "So, what say we get to work on finding that penguin?"

"Agreed," she answered. The two sat down on the steps of the tofu shop and began their search for the penguin.

And when their hands would slightly brush, they'd just blush, smile, and keep looking.

* * *

**Aaaah, there's the ending. Well, didja enjoy the whole story? Hope ya did. =) Feel free to give a review. A nice one, hopefully . . . Flames are allowed though. Since I'm just _that_ nice. XDD J/k Thanks for all the readers out there who commented and read it. I appreciate the love. =)**

**Now then, go catch some of my other stories. And be looking forward to some new ones with of course, MORE pairings! C_C More!**

**P.S. I love you guys. =D**


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